Wire-measuring device



Dec. 13, 1927. 1,652,407

H. H. JOHNSON WIRE MEASURING DEVICE Dec. 13, 192 7.

H.H.JoHNsoN WIRE MEASURING DEVICE Filed April 28: 1.924 2 Sheets-Smet 2'.Fig. is a' plan l'View ofthe wire measur-v Patented Dee,- 13, i927.

V:um ren STAT-e s Para Nrs, volr=1=f.rc:r-r..*

HAsTI-Nesrr. JOHNSON, oF Mrnnnaroms'ivrmnnsorn.

My invention Aprovides an extremely simple anldhighly eliicient linealmeasuring device especially adapted -for the measuringof wire, etc.,and, generally stated,the invention con# sists vof the-novel 'devicesandY 'combinations' of deviceshereinafter described i and dened in theclaims.

. Wire, as is well'known, is commonly carried :in stock woundin Ylargecoils `andis sold bythe pound. 'Howeven a customer seldom 'orderswireiby vthe pound but will order some certain number of feetrof .wireof .aspecifiedsize In the use ofthe wire measuring ldevice, the desiredYlength of 'wire is unwound 4fromthe supply coil and onto a drum, isthen cut oil'` and weighed, and/the Cost thereof` Calculated vbyweight,`hut this operationinsures the proper length of wire.

The commercial form ofmy wire measuring-device-is illustrated intheaccompanying drawings, y.wherein like characters indicate like .partsthroughout the several views.

- Referringto the drawings:` I IFig. liis-ajsideelevation showing thewire measuring device, some :parts being broken n Figi 2 is an enlargedsection-taken on the s rthat projects from theupper front cornercoupling 9 yAs will now Vbe noted, vthetwo fline-2i2 `of Fig; 1 someYparts 4being vbroken away;

n b y I vice shown 1n Fig. 11;

ingde'vice proper; i n s ,Y

Fig; 5 is a vfront elevation of the parts l sliownzindig. 4; u l

-Figli `s a section takenon theline 6-6 vof Fig'.l 4,.; andFig. 7 is:zi-fragmentary section `taken on the line 7 --7'v of Fig. 1.

The movable parts yof the devicer are mounted on` a framework, which, asshown, is ot rectangular rform, being made upof horizontal upperandrlower pipes 7 andend vposts 8 rigidly connected at the upper corners.ofl the frame by elbow'couplings 9 and rigidly- 'connectedat the lowercorners ofL theframe by couplings 10 .provided with supporting feet 11.Secured to andrising from a lateral projection from one of the couplings9 isa spindle 12- on which the wire-coil-containing reel 13-is rotatablymounted.A This Yreel 13,

- f as preferably/designed, comprises a hase ring 113 connected byradial' arms l14C to the lower i end of thelong sleevedikehub lthat isdetachablyand rotatablykmounted on the spindle 12. The reel 13 isarranged to belput under ,slightV frictional resist-ance to vrotation byFionB is aplanzview oftheimeasuring de- Y l l wound from the-supply reel13'will go to the "i" il" M Application filed-April 28,1924.' Serial No.703,444.

la co-iled'spring 16 lcompressed 'between a washer 17 and a. Aflangedtension-adjusting nut 18, which latter has'threaded engage-` ment withthe upperfe'nd.oil the spindle l.

preferably made up of flat metal strips bi-z soV furcated at their lowerends to straddleand frictionally engagetherespective radial arms 14 towhich they 'rivets or bolts 19a.'

are* pivotally connected by rThe wire `unwound from the supply reel 13is adapted to be wound .upon a receiving reel 20 arranged to rotate Vona horizontal axis and journaled to the other upper corner of the frame.This reel QOmaybev of any suitable form, so farasmypresent inventionis'concerned', but, as shown, it comprises a Ytapered drum 20 providedwith ar relatively'iixed side-'21 anda detachable side 22,'whicl'rsidemembers, as shown, are formed by cross fhars. This reel20-fisfrotatablyVand detachably Vjournaled on :a horizontal `spindle imate a straightline thatjissubstantially parallel to the lupper Vframe bar 7, but, of

course, this line of travel of the wire will vary as the supply coilisunwound and diminished-in size. VIn Figs'. 1 andl, the Coil Y ofwireonfthe supply reel 13 is indicatedhy the character A, the coil woundontothereceiving reel is indicatedby the character B,

vand theV wire on its 'wayifrom the coil A to the coilB is indicated bythecharacter'C.

. Aside from certain relative arrangement of the diilerent elements,'thechief novelty of this case resides inthe wire-measuring de-` soV vicepropeigwhich is supportedffrom the in term'ediate Vupper portionv ofAthe vframe between the two reels 13 'andfQO.andfrwhich measuringdevice, asat present commercially madeand sold, comprises as follows:The numeral 21' indicates a bracket that is rigidly secured von theyintermediate portion* of the upper framebar 7 as shown, bymeansorsetscrews'25 that make the same adjustable The upper kportion of thebracket 24 is in the "torni ota horizontal shelf-24" to which imY `Thiscross head 30, at its rear side has projecting upper and lower guidelugs 3()a that slide :freely in a vertical direction upon the guideposts 53T. The sha'lt QS), at. its rear end, is connected to the unitmember of aJ register or tally of the well known ey-l cloinetertype,wherein the unit wheel carries the tens to wheels of higher order on thedecimal plan. The easing ot this register is indicated by the numeral 3land the unit Wheel 1s indicated by the numeral The easing 3l supported la shelf 33 (Fig. (i) projected from the back oi' the cross head :traine30. The Construction ot this register need not be further considered,tor the reason that such devices may be purchased on the market and theconstruction and operation thereof are well known. lt should be stated,however, that the circumference of the ineasuriug wheel Q8 is exactlyone toot, so that the register will record the length of wire in feet.To indicate inches, the shaft 29 may be provided with a small wheel Selo`- cated outside of the Veasing 31, where it may be readily seen. Thiswheel 3111 should he pe ripherally marked to indicate inches. Theregister may be rovided with the customary means for quietly resettingto `zero. The knob 35 `shown in Fig. 6 is` a part of such resettingdevice,

The measuring wheel 28 is arranged to work directly over the tace plate26 and to run close to the {lange 26% The wire C will be guided on thetace plate and the wheel Q8 will be gravity-held in contact therewith sothat it will be driven by the wire C when the latter is drawn over thetace plate. For guiding the wire Cl in proper contact with the measuringwheel 28,` I preferably provide both-vertically and laterally adjustablegauge devices arranged to engage the wire C on both sides of the,measuring wheel S28. The vertically adjustable gauge devices are in thetorni o hori zontally projected studs 36. the reduced threaded ends otwhich work with freedom for vertical adjustments in vertical slots 3T,(see Figs. and 5) :formed in the bark flange Q6 of the face plate QG;and the said threaded ends are provided with nuts 3S, which, whentightened, securely hold said studs in set positions for best action onthe wire C olf any particular size. The horizontally adjustahle gaugedevice is in the 'form o'l` a gauge plate 39 rigidly but adjustablyseeiired to the :tace plate 26 by elaniliiug bolts 4:0 l1av ing thumbnuts 4.0 and which holte1 work through slots 40 in the gauge plate 2Gand closely lit holt holes 110C in said face plate and in the shel't211i. The gauge plate 39, at its inner edge, has an upstanding gauge`(lange all. The flange -Ltl and the gauge plate 39 are eut away toclear the lower portion ofthe measuring wheel 28 and to per `coveredWire. The measuring Wheel 28,

when used to measure rough or ordinary in-` sulated wire, will becomesoiled or may aecumulate more or less tar or dirt and, hence, when thedevice is used to measure lamp cord or sillwfovered wire, I providesimple means for preventing the same from becoming soiled, by causing itto run in contact with a` different tace surface of the measuring wheel.l l t l The means shown for the above purpose is a pair ot small metal iperforated ends clamped between the shoul ders of the gauge pins 36 andthe back flange QG and provided with coiled or cylindri cally bent freeends. Then the coiled ends of the clips 42 are turned downward, as shownin Figs. 4, 5 and (i, the Wire or cord C will he caused to travel closeto the gauge flange 41 but far from the hack fiangeQG and,v hence, tocome into contact with a, face surface oi? the measuring wheel 28thathas not been soiled by contact `with ordinary or rough wire. lVhenthe ordinary wire is to he measured, the gauge eliV s 4:2 may be turnedupwardV and there lielcihvhenthe nuts 38 are tightened; and then, thegauge plate guide clips 42having 539 should be adjusted closer towardthe` back flange 26aso that the wire will `be caused to contact with theface surface ot` the measuring wheel 28 that is quite close to the saidback iange 26, (see Fig. 3).

The numeral 43 indicates a thin spring metal scraper blade thatisanchored by` screws or other suitable means to the frame B0, overliesthe peripheral surface of `the measuring wheel 28 and is adapted bypressure of the linger tolie loreed into contact therewith and therebycaused to scrape and clean the measuring wheel when the latter isrotated.

This measuring device has been put into actual use and has been foundhighly eilicient for the purposes had in view. lt is ot simpleeonstruetion, has no parte that are likely to get out ol order, and,ii'ioreover, is a seltleontained structure, all ot the parts ofPw'hic'hlafre Jonja common fram-e lan'd 'capaf ble *of beingreadily'lm'ov'ed about oir Vtransported as anfentire'ty. Itfhas beenzfound the measuring andin the-handlingof wire, `rbuttobe'veryfaccuratein its measurements.

The *measuring wheel, unde'rftlie. force of considerable iweight, fiscaused "to float'fupon "andfridfe in frictional contactfwith thelivir'e.

.gential to ,theV peripheral surface of the measuringwheel,and yin aIverticalfplane that intersects the axis of rotation of' the 1neas'`uring wheel at ninety degrees. Y

The wire should be cut offat and meas#` ured from a point that'is on theright-hand or delivery side of thenieaSuring device onto the receivingreel and that portion ofV the wire that has been measured,`wound uponthe receiving reel, and cutoff from the main wire, may be easily removedlaterally from the receiving reel when the removable side of the latterhas been displaced. No

one of the several elements vof the completeV lineal measuring device`can Vbecome accidentally separated from thel other and,

therefore, always remain in proper cooperative association, The linealmeasuring device above described has been referred to chiefly as adevice for measuring wire, but it is well adapt' edk for use inmeasuring various other things, such as belting, ribbon,"orj otherrolled or ribbon-like materials. The lineal measuring deviceproper,which, as shown in theA 'bracket 24;, isY

drawings, is supported onv the capable of being readily removedfrom,applied to, and used upon a counter, bench, or table. The measuringwheel is adapted yto be yieldingly presseddowiiward, either solely bythe action of gravityy or by the combined action of gravity and springdevices 27a. The important thing Vis that it is yield. ingly pressedtoward the material toV be measured and .will maintain its frictionalcontact therewith and will adapt itself to all irregularities orvariations in thickness of the material being measured.

lVhat is herein treated as the front of the machine isat the right inrespect to Fig.- 6 because thatis the tor will stand. Y What I claimris:l,

l. A lineal measuring device comprising a face plate having a gaugeangeat itsrear side, an adjustable gauge plate mounted on saidface plate andspaced from the gauge flange of the latter, av vertically movable sideVatwhich the opera- -ltieiial Contact upon a 'Wire or the :lifke'drawnoversaid'-faceiplate, anda registeralso carried by' v'said floatingframeand l driven from said measuringwheel, the said Aadjustable'ga-ugeplate underlying' a portion off` 4said, measuring zwheel landbeing cut away @to clear thesame"anda-permit said measuring#wheel-1toengage said face plate: v L @22 A l-ineal-'niieasuring devicecomprising? a flange, a vertically movable'floating frame working abovesaid face-plate, a mountmg for said frame, a measuring wheel Journaledand a horizontally adjustable front gauge v plate. a `vertically movablefloating frame working above said face plate, a mounting for saidvframe, and a measuring wheel journaled to said floating frame andarranged to frictionally run upon a wire or Vthe like Vdrawn oversaidface plate, said adjustable gauge plate being cut away to clear `saidmeasuring wheel and permit the latter to run frictionally upon thewire`or the like drawn over said face plat y 4. A lineal measuring devicecomprising a`V frame, a face plate supported by said frame and having anupstanding rear gauge flange,

upright guide posts secured to and projectsupported by said face plate,a floating frame slidably mounted von said guide posts, aI measuringWheel journaled to said floating frame and arranged to run in frictional,contact with lthe wire or the like` drawn over said gauge plate, and aregister mounted on Y'said floating frame and driven from said measuringwheel. p

5. A lineal measuring device comprising a face plate having anupstanding fixed rear gauge flange, vertical guide posts secured to andrising from the rear flanged portion of said face plate, a. oating framemounted for vertical movements on said guide posts,

a measuring wheel journaled to said floating,

frame and working immediately above said face plate, a register carriedby said floating frame and operated'by said measuring wheel, and amovable gauge plate adjustably securedV on said face plate and having atits facev plate having a. fixed rear gauge flange" and a. horizontallyadjustable front gauge ing from said flange, wire-engaging guides l tosaidvfloating frame and arranged to fric# iio inner edge an upstandinggauge flange, said upstanding (fauve flange and a portion of the body ofb C n said gauge plate being cut away :i receiving reel mounted on saidframe onu horizontal axis and adapted to support e 1 coil in `a verticalplane, e measuring device mounted on said frame between said two reels,und :1 friction device applied to said First noted reel, whereby whenWire is Wound from said first noted reel onto said second noted reelsaid Wire will he drawn tuut and hence `straight as it is moved throughsaid measuring device.

HASTINGS H. JOHNSON;

In testimony whereof I a'ix my signature.`

